Editing Advance Australia Fair (section)

===Origin===

"Advance Australia Fair" was published in early December 1878 by Scottish-born Australian composer Peter Dodds McCormick (1833–1916) under the pen-name "Amicus" (which means {{Gloss|friend}} in Latin).<ref name="Aus Through">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/australiathrough0000unse |title=Australia Through Time |publisher=[[Random House#International branches|Random House Australia]] |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-09-183581-1 |edition=5th |publication-date=1997 |pages=56–57, 439, 446, 451, 479 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> It was first sung by Andrew Fairfax, accompanied by a concert band conducted by McCormick, at a function of the Highland Society of New South Wales in Sydney on 30 November 1878 ([[Saint Andrew's Day]]).<ref name="SMH Dec 1878">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13425798 | title = News of the Day | newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date = 5 December 1878 | access-date = 30 May 2020 | page = 5 | via = [[Trove]] ([[National Library of Australia]]) }}</ref><ref name="SMH Nov 1878">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13422200 | title = Advertising | newspaper = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = 27 November 1878 | access-date = 30 May 2020 | page = 2 | via = Trove (National Library of Australia) }}</ref> The song gained in popularity and an amended version was sung by a choir of around 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. In 1907, the Australian Government awarded McCormick £100 for his composition.<ref>{{cite AuDB | id2=mccormick-peter-dodds-7323 |title=McCormick, Peter Dodds (1834–1916) |first=Jim |last=Fletcher |volume=10 |year=1986 |access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>

In a letter to R.B. Fuller dated 1 August 1913, McCormick described the circumstances that inspired him to write "Advance Australia Fair" to be sung by a large choir with band accompaniment. McCormick had attended a concert at Sydney's Exhibition Building where various national anthems were played.

{{blockquote|This was very nicely done, but I felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song & when I got home I set it to music. I first wrote it in the Tonic Sol-fa notation, then transcribed it into the Old Notation, & I tried it over on an instrument next morning, & found it correct. Strange to say there has not been a note of it altered since. Some alteration has been made in the wording, but the sense is the same. It seemed to me to be like an inspiration, & I wrote the words & music with the greatest ease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an000008257145|title=Letters [manuscript]|publisher=[[National Library of Australia]]|access-date=26 October 2008}} Letter to R.B. Fuller Esq. dated 1 August 1913</ref>}}

The earliest known sound recording of "Advance Australia Fair" appears in ''The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt'' ({{circa|1916}}), a short commercial recording dramatizing the arrival of Australian troops in Egypt en route to [[Gallipoli campaign|Gallipoli]].<ref>[http://aso.gov.au/titles/historical/landing-of-australian-troops/clip1/ The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt] from National Film and Sound Archive, at australianscreen online</ref>

Before its adoption as Australia's national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair" had considerable use elsewhere. For example, Australia's national broadcaster, the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]], used it to announce its radio news bulletins from 1942 to 1952.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Byrnes |first=Paul |title=The Majestic Fanfare (ABC radio news theme) – Queen's Hall Light Orchestra, 1943 |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/82392-majestic-fanfare-abc-radio-news-theme-queens-hall-light-orchestra |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=National Film and Sound Archive}}</ref> It was also frequently played at the start or end of official functions. Towards the end of World War II it was one of three songs played in certain picture theatres, along with "God Save the King" and the US national anthem, "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17882691|title=Song and Two Anthems|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=30 November 1943|access-date=1 August 2016}}</ref>